Archive for November 2020
Medical Device Maker, Investment Firm Settle Whistleblower Lawsuit for $11.5M
A whistleblower lawsuit alleging that Therakos Inc. violated the False Claims Act by marketing a cancer treatment for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been settled for $11.5 million. The lawsuit was initially brought by two former Therakos Inc. employees in 2012. They will now split more than $2.75 million.…
Read MoreOIG Issues Fraud Alert Targeting Pharma Speaker Programs
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) earlier this month issued a fraud alert targeting speaker programs hosted by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. The watchdog agency’s alert points to fraud and abuse risks associated with the payment, solicitation or receipt of remuneration relating to these programs. These programs…
Read MoreRight of Access Violations Lead to Class Action
In recent weeks, we have been telling you about Office of Civil Rights (OCR) settlements relating to alleged violations of HIPAA’s Right of Access Initiative. The most recent settlements were announced on November 6 and November 12, bringing to 11, the number of settlements reached. OCR launched its Right of Access Initiative last year in…
Read MoreFailure to Adhere to Incident-to Rules Can be Costly
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that two physicians and their family medicine practices located in Tennessee will pay $341,690 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly charging Medicare for services rendered by nurse practitioners at the higher reimbursement rate for physician services. The providers are alleged to have…
Read MoreMedicare Audit Targets HHA Overpayments
Gem City Home Care, LLC became the most recent HHA to be ordered to pay back millions in overpayments following an audit by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. According to CMS, the Ohio-based agency failed to comply with billing requirements for 25 of 100 home health claims in fiscal years 2016 and 2017.…
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